Over in an older post about the Milwaukee M12 Fuel SDS rotary hammer, Jim asked a tough question: 12V-sized rotary hammer, or 18V-sized hammer drill?
Jim was specifically asking about the M12 Fuel rotary hammer, and an M18 Fuel hammer drill. For that question, I said I would consider the masonry drill size and frequency. I think 3/8″ would be the deciding factor. Larger holes would be drilled by a bigger tool. But keep in mind that the M12 Fuel SDS is capable of going up to 5/8″. Even the non-brushless version can drill holes up to 1/2″.
Advertisement
But I still wouldn’t want to use a hammer drill for larger sized holes. For me, the hole size would determine which class size of rotary hammer I would use.
My mind the jumped to a more general question: how often do professionals use a hammer drill for masonry drilling applications, over a rotary hammer.
A rotary hammer often has more capabilities than just drilling- many can be used in impact-only mode. And a drill can do a lot of things you simply cannot do with a rotary hammer.
A hammer drill can competently drill holes in masonry, up to a certain size of course. But hammer drills are not nearly as efficient as rotary hammers, and they vibrate a LOT more. The vibration is the reason why I said I would go to a larger tool to drill holes larger than 3/8″ or thereabouts. Bigger tools have different ergonomics.
It’s like prepare Thanksgiving dinner with a paring knife. Sure, you could do it, but why would you if you had something larger and better suited to the task?
Cordless hammer drills are extremely popular. If I could only carry one drill and faced the possibility of having to drill into masonry every now and then, I’d either buy a cordless hammer drill or keep a corded model available.
Advertisement
If you drill into masonry on a regular basis, which is your chosen tool, a hammer drill, or a rotary hammer?
abnormalist
So, I’ll start. I don’t drill masonry all that often, and when I do its usually 1/4 holes for ultracon/tapcon screws.
I’m sure I could find uses for a rotary hammer, but haven’t found the compelling need to buy one yet. Most of my uses are home/handyman, so not a full pro contractor/builder here.
Aellynh
Cordless drill/driver for %90 of the time and cordless SDS+ rotary hammer for the other %10 of the time. Completely unless using a hammerdrill/driver up 20-30 feet on an extension ladder and having to lean your body weight into the drill to get it to do anything. Battery rotary hammer has enough punch to drill 10-20 holes quickly and safely. I’m happy to carry an extra 3-4 pounds for the extra power of a rotary hammer. Biggest “normal” job I do is installing 2″ EMT through masonry which requires a core bit. Never going to get away with that kind of work with a cordless hammerdrill. Only had to do that a few times and I have an SDS-Max rotary hammer for the biggest stuff, including some “medium-duty” chipping. Haven’t had the need to get into any actual electric breakers or extremely heavy duty hammers yet.
jtr165
I don’t yet own a rotary hammer or hammer drill. I’ve pretty much settled on going with a cordless SDS+ system, as there are a handful of things I need to do soon that will benefit from the chipping function and extra power.
When I bought my drill/driver combo a few years ago I almost went with Dewalt’s premium XR hammerdrill, but after going back and forth for a while I ended up with the compact XR standard drill. I didn’t realize at the time that there was a compact hammerdrill option, also, but I’m still happy with a small but powerful 18v drill even though it lacks a hammer function.
My front porch has a concrete pad/landing and formed concrete steps that are sinking and cracking. My plan is to just drill holes through it until I can bust it up into chunks and replace the entire entrance with pavers and wood stairs. A hammerdrill could do what is needed, but a stronger rotary hammer could do it in a 1/4 of the time. I’m also redoing a natural rock wall behind the house; in college I worked in landscaping through the summers, and we’d use rotary hammers with spikes and chisel bits to clean up the face of stone walls…as well as easily make little wedges and things to bury within it to level things out. A hammerdrill that has to rotate doesn’t give that option, even though the chipping needed is extremely light duty. I could probably get away with just using a normal hammer and cold chisel, as this is all red sandstone. You can almost turn it into powder with your bare hands.
jason. w
I’ve only ever used hilti rotary hammers, so I don’t think my opinion counts here…haha
Matt J
Rotary hammer all day every day. The joy of being the newest guy on the crew is that I’m the designated driller for when we tie into existing concrete. It’s usually between a dewalt sds+ or an older hilti sds max. I’m yet to be convinced that any of the cordless ones out could go toe to toe with that hilti even though I loathe toting around a hundred or more feet of cord. But that’s because I’m usually out to do 40 or more holes at a time. The bigger the drill the faster and more comfortable it’ll go, and since drilling concrete always sucks, I’d want the biggest tool I could get my hands on.
Peter
I agree. I install commercial glass, and the rotary hammer is easier on the hands and elbows. Granted, if I need to put a couple holes in concrete to throw some 1/4″ screws for a threshold, I’ll grab a hammer drill. But for reduced noise, and the vibrations, I’d go with the rotary hammer all day long.
Hilton
I’ve never had a problem using a hammer drill be it cordless or corded. In fact the only place I’ve seen complaints is right here on this blog.
Granted my use is irregular but I recently purchased a Bosch SDS-Max (22mm max) corded to dedicate to masonry and concrete drilling. My Makita 18v will be used for convenience over function.
Stercorarius
Really? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that would use a hammer drill unless it was absolutely the only available option.
RX9
Hammer drills are fantastic for light duty work. I’ve got an M12 Fuel hammer drill (model 2404) that’s light weight, maneuverable, and great at drilling through most objects.
However, I’ve also got an M18 rotary hammer (model 2715, like the one pictured at the top of this post), and it is an order of magnitude faster than the hammer drill when it comes to bashing holes through concrete.
I’ve managed to put the thing to use in a variety of other applications too, many of them somewhat unorthodox.
First and foremost, the thing is very torquey, and despite the limit imposed by the clutch, is no slouch in regular (no hammer action) drilling mode, particularly when used in conjunction with an SDS-to-3 jaw chuck adapter. I’ve used it to make numerous 5/16 holes in 1/8″ thick 304 stainless, and it seems to perform better at the task than my full-size Dewalt DCD980 (a truly fantastic drill in its own right). The DCD980 left tiny chips at the lowest speed setting, while the 2715 was able to literally drill ribbons of 304 stainless out of the holes. I know a drill press is the ideal tool for this application, but I don’t have the space, so my 2715 was a decent ersatz solution.
Second, the hammer-only mode opens up a whole world of applications. As most people suspect, it’s brilliant at driving stakes, removing old tile and fairly competent at chiseling wood. With the right adapters, you can use it to tackle many of the tasks assigned to an air hammer, such as metal panel smoothing, separating stuck parts etc.
Two caveats, 1 . With their clutches, pretty much all rotary hammers are useless at driving threaded fasteners like lug nuts (get an impact wrench for that). 2. I’ve tried splitting logs with the thing and there is either not enough power or the chisel bit gets stuck.
Going back to Jim’s question, the 12v rotary hammer is nice, but it has no hammer-only function. If I were in his shoes, I’d grab the 18v hammer drill instead.
Jay
Mostly do residential / light commercial repair and remodeling projects. Rarely if ever need more than a good 1/2″ hammer drill.
BikerDad
Masonry, as in brick and cinder block? Whichever is handy.
Stone and/or aged concrete? Rotary all the way. Try drilling into a 50+ year old concrete slab (indoor, not outdoor) using a hammer drill. Now, perhaps the HUGE difference in performance that I experienced was due solely to the size difference of the drills (1/2″ hammer, 3/4″ SDS, both corded), but I’m inclined to doubt it.
As far as cordless applications go, I’ve gone to hammer-time so rarely with my cordless hammer drill that I’ll refrain from opining on the topic.
Peter
What is it about old concrete? I had to use tapcons to anchor some extensions for a panel saw at work. The building was 60 plus years old. I used 3/16″ sds like the box said and I must have broken a hundred screws trying to fasten 4 legs. It was kinda embarrassing.
Matt J
Supposedly it keeps setting up and getting harder for an absurdly long time. I don’t know if the claim holds any water but I’ve heard that even ancient roman concrete isn’t quite finished its chemical reactions.
BobSwedish
Modern concrete (post industrial age) takes around 80 years to fully cure.
I live in a concrete cellar walled house built in 1939 🙁
Jerry
Rotary hammer for all but small light duty masonry drilling. I consider a rotary hammer as big a step up as I do an impact driver over a drill driver. Sure, many people don’t need one but once you stfart needing more oomph, there is no comparison. With a hammer drill you have to lean into it, and deal with far more torque reaction than with a rotary hammer. Now that I have a rotary hammer I won’t even look at my hammer drill at anything bigger than a 1/4 inch hole, if at all. The bit just sort of melts into concrete, vzs struggling through it. If anyone is considering getting one, I strongly recommend getting one that has a hammer only function. Mine is variable speed, and the harder you press the harder the hammer hits, giving you a lot of control, from gently chipping away a broken ceramic tile to breaking the edge of a concrete sidewalk.
adam
I loathe drilling vertically with hammer drills, especially into the deck of the floor above. Hammer drills with their motors offset the line of force applied to the drill put too much strain on the wrist in repetitive use. An inline rotary design, like the Bosch Bulldog, completely bypasses wrist strain when used in the vertical position.
JoeM
I don’t drill large holes in Masonry at all. I’m either hanging something on it, or putting cables through it. So, I use Hammerdrills. In fact, I will only buy a Drill if it has the Hammerdrilling mode. Premium, Compact, Brushless… All great things if/when I buy them… but if it’s a Drill, it needs a Hammer. Not because I need it often, simply because I don’t want to need it, and not have it.
Can I put in a box of 3″ screws in a wall with it? Not really. Can I save myself hours of frustration by running cables through the wall, rather than out and around? Yes. I most certainly can. And for that, I’m not going over the 1/2″ capacity of my Hammerdrills.
ca
There’s not really any comparison between the two. The hammer part of hammer drills is for infrequent use with small holes. It’s certainly handy when you need it but, if you’re ever drilling a lot in masonry, you want a rotary hammer.
glenn
We drill into masonry nearly every day. Only ever use rotary hammer drills. For what we do using a hammer drill would just be time wasting.
More specifically to answer his question, I have the brushed M12 rotary hammer and it is WAY better than the M18 hammer drill. I drill mainly 5mm and 12mm holes but on occasion 8 and 10mm holes. What I am drilling into is mainly brick and mortar but sometimes concrete. And yes I have compared them both into the same material.
In really hard clinker brick it can struggle a bit with 12mm holes in which case I grab the M18 Fuel.
In total we have an M12 and M18 hammer drills, an M12 rotary hammer, an M18 22mm and M18 28mm rotary hammer and 2 corded rotary hammers but pretty much only ever use the M12 and M18 28mm rotary hammers.
APRP
Hammer for small stuff such as mounting brackets for an AC or putting a shot in for threaded rod when hanging duct work. The battery option with no cord is well worth the sacrifice in power. When it comes to blowing a 2,3,4,5,6″ core for something like venting, conduit or piping. Only way to go is rotary hammer plus you usually have a chipper feature of the machine is and SDS Max. I prefer German drills for this task but anything will do. A key point that is being missed is quality of the bit or the core. All of my bits are German or Japanese, nothing else. If you cheap out on the bit it doesn’t matter what drill you have. The cutting tool in any application is always overlooked. Especially in building trades from my experience.
James P.
It all depends on the situation. A few tapcons in concrete or masonry, I use the cordless Makita hammer drill. Multiple tapcons or drilling for LDT through the bottom plate of form work, I use my Hilti UH700 hammer drill. Drilling for dowels or chipping concrete, either the Hilti TE75 or 76. And if I need to run larger use the DD100 coring machine.
Just depends on the job
Chris Fyfe
Rotary hammer all the way . I have an M18 with chipping capability , and an M12 for quick grab and go stuff . I haven’t used my Metabo corded one in years ! Hammer drills ( non SDS ) , are totally out of my inventory .
Chris
Milwaukee tool Steve
You nailed it I hate just hammer drills for concrete work.
jaytkif
I prefer a rotary hammer for any type of heavier work, but I don’t own one, I just rent as needed, since I only use one a couple of times per year. Also, each job is a little different and I prefer a smaller unit for overhead work, so that would mean owning several to get the job done. Rotary hammers are easier on the user than hammer drills in terms of torque transferred to the user, vibration, and noise.
But for DIY users, or small business contractors who don’t do a lot of concrete work, a cordless hammer drill is probably a better bet, especially as part of a kit. It will handle basic jobs, and the price difference between a hammer drill and a drill driver isn’t too big of a jump. The difference is probably made up the first time a rental is avoided installation some 1/4″ concrete screws.
Oliver (six-point socket)
Rotary hammer all the way. Haven’t used a hammer drill since the one I inherited from my Dad gave up on me…
But it’s not just the powert tool, it’s also the drill bits. With great quality & sharp drill bits you will have no problem drilling through rather delicate materials by putting your rotary hammer in “drill only” mode – so personally I have no need for a hammer drill be it corded or cordless.
Kind regards,
Oliver
Corey
Tapcons, yellow jackets, anything sub 3/8″-Hammer drill for both convenience and accuracy. I’ve found occasional but consistent issue in using smaller 3/16, 1/4 pilots in a rotary hammer, to over bore and fail to lodge the anchor or fastener. Anything other larger than that, 3/8 and above-rotohammer all the way. That’s simply where I find the performance comparison too obvious to bother debating. Drop in anchors and masonry applications of that size have no justification for getting anything less than an sds. I even (very) recently discovered that my yellow 20v sds is completely capable of chisel driving 8 foot ground rods in a hail Mary “what do I have to lose at this point” moment on a job.
Zach
Had I not paid $35 for my Dewalt Hammer drill I would have sold it when I bought my Rotary hammer.
Zero comparison.. the chipping function is extremely useful when pulling up tile or wood underlayment to get back down to the subfloor.
Cr8ondt
If you haven’t watched any of AvE’s youtube vids here’s a tear down of a DeWalt Hammer Drill at around 7 mins he explains how a hammer drill works. Warning he uses colorful language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHCS7JXfuv0
That outta the way I personally prefer an SDS every chance I have, BUT a hammer drill still is quite useful especially in mortar.
Doresoom
Ha, looks like Pro Tool reviews couldn’t come up with a new topic, so they copied this one a week later! http://www.protoolreviews.com/news/using-hammer-drills-vs-rotary-hammers/24603/
John
The 18v hammer drills are about as close to useless as you can get. Corded rotary hammer is faster and thus more efficient.
One of my co-workers with many more years experience was pre-drilling into concrete for tap cons using his little shitty DeWalt 20v hammer drill. He had to drill about 20 holes and was taking forever. So I walked over with the corded Bosch roto and handled it. Don’t waste time on the job … Use the right tool.
Jason
A hammer drill is passable if your only doing small fasteners in green concrete or block, but your right a rotary hammer will do a better job and your bits will last longer too. If you do a lot of masonry work get a basic cordless rotohammer now they are not that expensive anymore.
TzuZen
Great thread. A bit frustrating for the homeowner of a brick house. I occasionally need to drill into masonry and am shopping for a decent tool that will make the job easier. Finding the right mix of “good enough” and overkill (I’m fond of overkill yet $$$$ for that) is frustrating. Likely, a hammer drill or a rotary hammer (low end) one will work way better than the impact driver or 1972 Sears Craftsman corded drill I’m using now.